David Cameron rejects Moscow’s WWII Victory Day invite

The separatist crisis in Ukraine has led to chilled diplomatic relations between the UK and Russia. Britain has suspended contact between ministers and their Russian counterparts due to Russia’s military involvement in Ukraine.

David Cameron has even rejected Moscow’s World War Two Victory Day invite due to the fallout in diplomatic relations between the two countries, reports the BBC.

A Downing Street official spokesman said: “We don’t have plans for the Prime Minister to attend, and I’m sure we will set out who will represent the government in due course.”

“We would consider our representation within our broader ongoing relationship with Russia. Recently, there have not been ministerial visits, and we will take that into account when we consider who attends.”

Each year, on 9 May Russia holds large-scale celebrations in Moscow’s Red Square to commemorate the Allied victory over Nazi Germany in the WWII.

As the Telegraph points out, it is rather unusual for the UK Prime Minister to cancel attending an event so far in advance. The event is only two days after the UK General election on 7 May, which means that David Cameron may not be in office then.

At the moment the upcoming general election is top concern for British politicians, so whether diplomatic ties between the UK and Russia will improve remains to be seen.